No Fresh Polls! Edo Tribunal Reaffirms Okpebholo’s Mandate Amid Opposition Challenge

Delivering a unanimous judgment, the three-member panel, chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, ruled that the petition lacked merit and failed to provide adequate grounds to nullify the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

The tribunal rejected the petitioners’ demand for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election, stating that the Accord Party and its candidate did not meet the legal burden of proof.

The panel pointed out that the petitioners made generalized and vague allegations of electoral malpractices, such as vote rigging, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, and corrupt practices, but failed to present credible evidence or pinpoint the specific polling units or wards involved.

According to the tribunal, the claims were deemed “unsubstantiated” and “ambiguous,” failing to establish any reasonable cause of action. All preliminary objections questioning the petition’s competence were also upheld.

INEC had declared Okpebholo the election winner with 291,667 votes, defeating the PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. The Accord Party’s candidate received just 252 votes.

Despite their poor electoral performance, the Accord Party contested the results, alleging widespread irregularities, including multiple thumbprinting, voter intimidation, and failure to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some polling units.

This decision comes after the tribunal previously dismissed a similar petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA), which also sought to nullify Okpebholo’s victory.

With both the Accord Party and Action Alliance petitions dismissed, the tribunal is now set to deliver its final judgment on the remaining petition filed jointly by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who are challenging the election outcome.